The lignite industry is North Dakota’s fifth largest industry behind agriculture, oil and gas, tourism and manufacturing.
The lignite industry (coal mining and coal conversion) accounted for $5.4 billion of the state's economic base in 2019.
The lignite industry directly employs 3,623 people in North Dakota.
There are 9,500 indirect employees in the lignite industry in North Dakota.
The lignite counties of McLean, Mercer and Oliver have some of the highest wages per job in North Dakota.
1. Oliver County $81,136
5. Mercer County $70,364
7. McLean County $63,494
The average wage in North Dakota in 2020 was $55,461.
Source: ND Job Service, 2019 Average Annual Wage by County
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